As has become customary during the first few weeks of football season, the 2016-2017 Auburn basketball schedule has been released to remind us what we’re really here for. Bruce Pearl, amirite?
I’ve already given my thoughts on the non-conference schedule when it was released a few months back, but if you don’t care about those thoughts, here is the schedule anyway.
Fri, Nov. 4 – Montevallo (exh.)
Fri, Nov. 11 – North Florida
Mon, Nov. 14 – Georgia State
Thur, Nov. 17 – Eastern Kentucky
Tue, Nov. 22 – Texas Tech (CBS Sports Network)
Wed, Nov. 23 – Purdue/Utah State (CBS Sports Network)
Tue, Nov. 29 – USC-Upstate
Sat, Dec. 3 – at UAB
Mon, Dec. 12 – Boston College
Thur, Dec. 15 – Coastal Carolina
Sun, Dec. 18 – Mercer
Wed, Dec. 21 – Oklahoma (ESPNU)
Fri, Dec. 23 – at UConn
Now as far as the SEC goes, here’s what Auburn has:
Thur, Dec. 29 – Georgia (ESPNU), 6 pm – For the first time in at least 20 years (that’s as far back as I checked), Auburn will start SEC play before the New Year. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s how the weeks fall in the year, but either way, the crowd will likely be sparse (without students), and Georgia should be the Georgia we’ve known the past few years. Better than your mama’s Georgia, but still beatable (as Auburn has done once in each of the last two seasons).
Wed, Jan. 4 – at Vanderbilt (SECN), 6 pm – Auburn returns to the gimmick arena. Please, just win their once before I pass. Please?
Sat, Jan. 7 – Ole Miss (SECN), 5 pm – Is Marshall Henderson still there? No? Well still beat them for him anyway.
Tue, Jan. 10 – at Missouri (SECN), 6 pm – Like football, Missouri is pretty awful in basketball now, too. However, before things fell apart last season, Mizzou still beat Auburn up there. Let’s fix that.
Sat, Jan. 14 – at Kentucky (ESPN/ESPN2), 3 pm – You think they’ll want revenge much?
Wed, Jan. 18 – LSU (SECN), 7:30 pm – LSU no longer has that guy that got drafted that was pretty much just a punk. LSU is like Georgia. Better than you think they should be, but beatable.
Sat, Jan. 21 – Alabama (ESPN/ESPN2), 3 pm – The Foy ODK Sportsmanship trophy returns at halftime.
Tue, Jan. 24 – at South Carolina (SECN), 5:30 pm – South Carolina was inexplicably decent last year. Auburn will be explicably better this year.
Sat, Jan. 28 – (6) at TCU (ESPNU), 5 pm – For the 2nd year in a row, there’s some Big 12 in the middle of the SEC. It’s a nice break. And given that TCU is worse than Auburn has ever been in basketball, it might be a good win at face.
Tue, Jan. 31 – Tennessee (SECN), 8 pm – Bruce split with his old team last season. He only gets them once in the regular season this year, so h has to make the most of his time.
Sat, Feb. 4 – at Alabama (SECN), 7:30 pm – The first repeat opponent on the schedule just happens to be the one we like looking at the least.
Tue, Feb. 7 – Mississippi State (ESPNU), 8 pm – Mississippi State basketball infuriates me like no other. I don’t know why. They just seem to win when they shouldn’t. In the middle of a 20+ game winning streak, Auburn should have no trouble.
Sat, Feb. 11 – at Ole Miss (SECN), 5 pm – The Tigers travel to the copy of Auburn Arena.
Tue, Feb. 14 – Florida (SECN), 6 pm – The Gators blew out Auburn last season. I think it was 40-1 at halftime. Not really, but close. Let’s return the favor.
Sat, Feb. 18 – at Texas A&M (ESPNU), 3 pm – Last season, Auburn hung with a good Aggie team in the middle of a tornado. They knocked them out of the SEC tournament and subsequently the NCAA Tournament the year before. This series is volatile, man.
Tue, Feb. 21 – at LSU (SECN), 6 pm – The Maravich Center always seems a little dark and dank. Much like Death Valley. Baton Rouge is dark and dank.
Sat, Feb. 25 – Arkansas (SECN), 7:30 pm – Auburn won at Arkansas for the first time in forever last season. Let’s make it two wins in a row.
Wed, Mar. 1 – at Georgia (SECN), 5:30 pm – For some reason I always feel like Auburn plays in Athens. Like it’s always warm outside. Am I making this up?
Sat, Mar. 4 – Missouri (SECN), 2:30 pm – Mizzou will be terrible, and this game will determine NCAA Tournament seeding.
Mar, 8-12 – (7) SEC Tournament (SECN/ESPN) – Auburn, with a top-4 seed doesn’t have to play until Friday. They win at least two games for a spot in the SEC Championship Game.
Thoughts? Leave them in the comments below.
